Why Should Buy A Home Now

Posted July 27, 2010 – 4:42 am in: Mortgages
     

Owning your own home is part of the American Dream. It is a status symbol as well as a security. It is an investment into your future as well as a comfort. There are several reasons that you should consider for making your home purchase now.

1. Interest rates. Interest rates are very low right now. In fact, we have not seen these rates for decades. Purchasing a home now will allow you to obtain a mortgage with low monthly payments saving you thousands of dollars in interest over the course of the loan. Interest rates are bound to rise again as the economy stabilizes. The time is now to take advantage of historically low interest rates.

2. The real estate market might be at the bottom. Everyone has an opinion but no one knows for sure where the market is headed. Logic tells you that prices may be at the bottom and will perhaps stay there for a little while until the country recovers from the current recession. Don’t bother trying to time the real estate market to the day or month. If your time horizon for owning a home is five years or more than this is a good time to be a home buyer.

3. It is just nice to live in a place that you own. You have more control when you own where you live. Suppose your landlord decides to sell. Then you have to go through the headache of moving and finding a new place to live. Being a renter can be a hassle.

4. Build Equity. When you purchase a home or property you are creating wealth. As home values rise and mortgage payments are made, the value of your home increases. The difference between what the home is worth and what is owed on the mortgage is the available equity. As your equity builds so does your wealth. Assume you purchased a 100k home with a 15 year mortgage. Home values during that period went up anywhere from 1-5% a year during that fifteen years. When your mortgage is paid off you will now own a property that is worth anywhere from 120-175k, clear and free. You have just increased your net worth by that amount. Not only have your enjoyed your home during this period, you have created wealth by simply taking advantage of purchasing a home at the right time.

5. Improve your credit. When you get a mortgage and pay on time your credit score will improve. Homeowners are considered to be a lower risk and are typically given a higher credit score. A better score means that you can borrow money more easily and at lower rates.

There will probably never be another time that home prices are so low in comparison to their true value. With low mortgage rates and a large variety of homes to select from on the market, there is not a better time than now to purchase your dream home.

Marc Rasmussen sells Bird Key real estate

categories: home,real estate,house,buy home,finance,business,garden,home purchase,investing,mortgage,personal finance